THE JACKPACK

I've been a typical "guy" lately.  Or, actually, I guess I have the perfect excuse: genetics.  My dad hates writing.  So, there, I'm predisposed to dislike writing.  (Mom likes writing.  So, I guess that's why I'm actually putting this together for you.  A little watering-down of the "hate writing" gene.) What prompted me to write?  Well, I just had one of the best weekends ever.  Here's a perfect timeline of events: Thursday Evening:  Drive to Austin to meet my Aunt K and Uncle C.  Take my "Babcia" out for a fine dining experience at the Trattoria Lysina Winery in honor of her birthday and Mother's Day.  I sipped wine, flirted with the waitress, and blew kisses to the lovely young lady serving gelato.  Ok, I'm just kidding about the wine.  But, that's not to say that I didn't eat some pretty classy stuff: Artichoke fritter thingies, some "calamari," some veal marsala.  I loved the calamari, but after a whil...

The pictures say it all:  I was a kayakin'!

Late Saturday morning, I was piddling around, waiting for the day to get exciting when Mom said, "Jack, let's go."  We got in the car and drove about five minutes up the highway to a place called "Yellowhouse Machinery."  When I got out of the car, I could see a yard of John Deere heavy equipment: bulldozers, graders, backhoes, skid-steers.... I went nuts. We walked into the building, and a guy asked Mom, "What can I do for you?" She answered, "Well, I have a little guy who's fairly obsessed with heavy equipment.  Would it be alright if I walked with him around your yard and showed him the tractors?" The guy answered, "Sure, and I can fix him up one better."  He handed me two boxes of model diecast John Deere tractors: an excavator and a backhoe.  Mom was shocked by his kindess, and I just about flipped with excitement.  Oh boy, oh boy!  We looked around the yard and returned to the office because Mom said I could pick...

Two Christmases ago, ok...my first Christmas, I got my first pair of real boots from my Uncle C and Aunt K.  Well, too long ago, I outgrew those boots in Korea.  And, guess what they don't sell real boots, Texas style, in Korea.  So, I had to wait until I made my little trip back to the promised land to get myself a real pair of boots, get myself back in business, if you know what I mean.  Today was like any ordinary day while visiting the LoneStar State.  I ate my cinnamon roll, drenched in delicious, nutritious, can't beat it, "Dad, you wish you had some," icing.  Then, I played with my tractors and Mack trucks on the hearth, all the while waiting for Mom to either say, "Hey, we're going to town.  Let's go in the car."  Or, "Hey, we're going outside to play in the dirt."  Either way, it's a win-win situation around here.  Today, it was the car.  Our first little trip was to Palmer Feed and Supply.  Apparently, it's tradit...

...also known as "De-Sissifying"....."De-Babyfying" (however you wanna spell it).....  As you might have noticed in my recent photographs, I finally have real boy's legs.  FINALLY.  Ugh, I thought that day would never come.  Both legs host a number of gashes, scrapes, bruises, and mosquito bites, and I wear these perforations with great pride.   And, I'll have you know that through it all, not a tear was shed.  Yes, I earned that biggest gash after falling hard on rocks at the ranch.  Did I cry?  Nope.  With blood gushing down my leg, I just got right up and kept trekking down the road.  I am a trooper....  Wait, I am Incognito Man!